Demonstrates the value of inexpensive meals, saving in food buying and the importance of milk in the diet, as suggestions for adequate nutrition under the war-time national nutrition program.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Production Company: Hardcastle Film Associates
Sponsor: Dairy Council Of St Louis
Audio/Visual: silent, color
Keywords: need keyword

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Marysz - - January 8, 2012
Subject: People Were Starving In Europe
Color footage without sound about healthy eating during World War II. This film was directed by a woman, Marie C. Harrington, presumably because all the men were in the military. Food rationing started in 1942, the same year this film was made, although there are no ration books in sight here.

There are beautiful scenes of a mother (all dressed up and wearing a frivolous hat) and daughter shopping at a well-stocked greengrocers and butcher shop. These were the days before supermarkets were widespread and shopping was definitely more of a neighborly affair. There are carefully composed shots of flour, oatmeal and canned tomatoes shot with tape over their product names (although its hard to miss the Quaker on Quaker Oats), although for what reason well never know.

Mother and her daughters cook the family dinner (of course) and the film ends with the whole family stiffly eating dinner in the dining room and washing down their food with large glasses of milk (courtesy of the Dairy Council of St Louis, the film's sponsor). Dad eats wearing a suit and tie and Mom looks a little grim. Food is serious business during wartime.

Reviewer: JayKay49 - - December 5, 2011
Subject: The Eve Of Rationing?
Awful lot of items available in the (quite large for that day) store; also in the cafeteria and on the table. Maybe the real rationing hadn't quite kicked in yet. And Dad's still around...hmmmm, not drafted yet? (maybe mom painted his toenails to keep him stateside). Nice flick though...but I wish it had sound.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - November 25, 2003
Subject: Perversion for Profit in Flour!
Silent footage from a movie called Making Ends Meet, but kept interesting by the images presented, as it's all food-related. Kids in a cafeteria, people shopping in a store with an amazing looking produce department, and in a great scene, brand named products shown with grey tape over their names! It ends with a family enjoying their dinner with giant glasses of milk, to placate the sponsor of this piece. Reccomended!

Reviewer: Steve Nordby - - October 14, 2003
Subject: Cooking means work
The soundtrack is missing, but from what can be seen, this is about helping Mom stretch the family food budget by buying fresh foods and staples in quantity and making meals herself rather than buying prepackaged convenience foods. Sponsored by the Dairy Council of St. Louis, so big glasses of milk appear frequently. Ends with a stoic family dinner in the dining room. Mom takes a drink of milk, rests her hand in her lap, and appears worn out from all the work.